The Beijing Association of Online Media met Aug. 27 to discuss censoring members' websites to eliminate content that it considers harmful to society. [Zhao Guangxia/people.com.cn]

Eight social media websites will begin a trial of self-censorship according to guidelines established by the Beijing Association of Online Media (BAOM).

The BAOM met Aug. 27 to discuss how to establish harmony on the Internet. Popular websites volunteered to remove information that is anti-government, libelous or obscene.

Sina.com, one of China's most popular websites, a news aggregator that also offers a blogging platform, will begin blocking untrue and false information, as well as content that is deemed vulgar, on their Twitter-like Micro Blog service.

China Mobile's Xj139.com site already has been active in guiding users on appropriate behavior. Those who "do bad behaviors" and "express mal opinions" on the site's forums and blogs are informed that their posts were improper through text messages sent to their mobile phones. (Users are required to provide their mobile phone numbers when they register on the site.)

The agreement to self-censor follows a blog network in Hebei Province that agreed at the beginning of the year to practice what they call "self-discipline." Members of the group have "6 No's": things that are superstitious, pornographic, anti-Communist Party or anti-government, personal attacks and denouncements are all kept off their blogs.

The BAOM and participating websites did not make clear what they consider harmful or what constitutes anti-government, false or vulgar content.

The other websites that will monitor their sites' content are Sohu, Netease, ifeng, Hexun, Soufun and MySpace China.

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